Destructive housing policies must end

Health Care Aotearoa, the national
organisation representing many community-owned primary
health providers in low income communities, is supporting
the presentation to Parliament tomorrow of a petition
calling for end to destructive state housing policies of
Housing New Zealand.

“Housing New Zealand’s actions in
the wholesale demolition of homes in Maraenui, Pomare and
Glen Innes has ignored the voices of these communities about
the redesign of housing in their neighbourhoods” said
Health Care Aotearoa Co-ordinator Muriel Tunoho.

“On
top of this, Housing New Zealand’s new policies are doing
little to address the alarming shortage of affordable
housing, particularly for vulnerable families in New
Zealand”.

“In Pomare, Housing New Zealand tenants were
given magnificent promises about the gradual redesign of
their neighbourhood housing to make life better for
themselves and their families,” she said.

“However,
their homes were bulldozed and the tenants and their
families were relocated away from their familiar
neighbourhood and community support. It is now a year later
and not one state house has been rebuilt in this
community.”

“A critical factor to good health is good
housing and cohesive communities”.

“Housing
displacement and relocation, particularly for vulnerable
families and communities can have adverse health impacts on
them, including stress, loss, grieving and poorer mental
health”.

Muriel Tunoho said Government must heed the
message being raised by the housing
petition.

“Government must change the destructive
policies of Housing New Zealand in low income suburbs such
as Pomare, Maraenui and Glen Innes,” she said.

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